Nokia Reviews, Rumors and Upcoming News

Nokia's fantastic HERE Maps is a true rival to Google Maps and it of course comes with offline navigation. However, it has only been making tentative steps into the Android space in beta form... until now that is. A new major update for the Android version of the apps takes it from the beta stage and it is now a full release app.

In the halcyon days of feature phones, Nokia reigned supreme. Its handsets sold in the kinds of numbers that would even have Samsung and Apple envious and the Finnish company dominated the mobile market for nearly a decade. Those days have long gone, with the advent of the smartphone changing the mobile landscape forever. However, there is a demographic in the UK where the Nokia 8210 feature phone still reigns supreme.

2014 was a year of change for Nokia. The company sold its Devices and Services division to Microsoft, said it may never make smartphones again, launched a tablet, and also rolled out some impressive software. So, how is Nokia doing post Microsoft? Very good is the answer and the company confirmed that with its latest earnings call.

A report in China this week suggested that Meizu would farm out its MX4 flagship to Nokia and the Finnish company would use the design and puts its own specs and software on to the handset. It seemed a little far-fetched, even though Nokia is actively looking for such partnerships, so there is little surprise to see that Meizu has wasted no time shooting this rumor down.

Nokia may not be able to make its own smartphones just yet, but the company is still keeping involved on the hardware front it seems. According to a rumor from China, Meizu is interested in selling its handsets outside of Southeast Asia, but the Chinese company is worried its brand does not carry weight in other major market.

A number of Nokia's (now Microsoft's) Lumia handsets are getting the bump to the new Lumia Denim software in Malaysia. The handsets in question are the Nokia Lumia 525, Nokia Lumia 720, and Nokia Lumia 620, and all are now receiving the build number 8.10.14219.341 of Denim. The update is arriving OTA and I presume this means it is ready to sweep worldwide.

Nokia's recently announced N1 tablet is a monumental device in the company's history as the Finnish giant is starting all over again. After selling its devices division to Microsoft, Nokia is starting as a new entity and this is its first hardware step in a new direction. The N1 is pretty good, if a little too close to the iPad Mini, and it reminds us that Nokia actually knows how to make a solid device.

Nokia is slowly removing itself form Microsoft. Of course, the company sold its devices division to Redmond earlier in the year and since then Nokia has been distancing itself from both Microsoft and the Windows Phone platform. There has been an Android launcher app (the amazing Z Launcher), an Android running tablet, and now the company has said it will no longer develop the HERE Maps suite for Microsoft's Lumia smartphones.

Nokia built a tradition of making its devices among the best for those wanting a smartphone that doubles as a point and shoot camera. In fact, the companies Lumia PureView handsets offered the best camera experience in the business. Microsoft will continue that tradition as the company is readying its own camera oriented smartphone, the Lumia 1030.

We previewed Nokia's new N1 tablet earlier in the week and like everybody else in the tech press were instantly drawn to how much the device looks like Apple's iPad Mini, a slate that it is a direct competitor to.